Dental clinic aims to get local children smiling with free dental care

Ruby Ayala prepares Kourtnee Thomas, 8, for an extraction during a free dental clinic at Kool Smiles General Dentistry for Kids, Sunday, May 21, 2017. The services were provided as part of the annual Sharing Smiles Day, offering uninsured and underinsured kids up to 18 free dental exams, extractions, restorative care and emergency care. less

Ruby Ayala prepares Kourtnee Thomas, 8, for an extraction during a free dental clinic at Kool Smiles General Dentistry for Kids, Sunday, May 21, 2017. The services were provided as part of the annual Sharing ... more

Photo: JERRY LARA / San Antonio Express-News

Photo: JERRY LARA / San Antonio Express-News

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Ruby Ayala prepares Kourtnee Thomas, 8, for an extraction during a free dental clinic at Kool Smiles General Dentistry for Kids, Sunday, May 21, 2017. The services were provided as part of the annual Sharing Smiles Day, offering uninsured and underinsured kids up to 18 free dental exams, extractions, restorative care and emergency care. less

Ruby Ayala prepares Kourtnee Thomas, 8, for an extraction during a free dental clinic at Kool Smiles General Dentistry for Kids, Sunday, May 21, 2017. The services were provided as part of the annual Sharing ... more

Photo: JERRY LARA / San Antonio Express-News

Dental clinic aims to get local children smiling with free dental care

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For the past four days, Kourtnee Thomas hasn’t been able to get a full night’s sleep. Her mother would rush over to find her crying, lips trembling, excess saliva running down her chin.

“Remember how much you were in pain?” asked Lakietra Thomas, her mother. “There was nothing I could do, and that hurt me.”

Kool Smiles, a dental clinic with a mission to provide care for underserved populations, held its annual, nationwide “Sharing Smiles Day” on Sunday. At their South Side clinic on New Braunfels Street, Kool Smiles was hoping to care for about 50 people from 9 a.m. to noon. By 10:30 a.m. they had seen 11 people.

Across the nation, people who don’t have insurance and don’t qualify for Medicaid could sign up for free dental treatment at participating Kool Smiles clinics.

“I hate being in that in-between,” said Henry de Leon, sitting next to his daughter and son at the clinic.

He worked in IT at Career Point College, which went bankrupt and shut down last year. All the employees were laid off with no benefits and no continuing insurance coverage.

“I wish I still had my job,” he sighed. “Once I lost my job, the insurance went, and it’s been a struggle ever since then.”

De Leon brought in both of his children to get a regular checkup, since they hadn’t been to the dentist in a year.

While De Leon’s children had no medical issues, Kourtnee had two molars overrun with cavities and an abscess beneath them. They would have to pull her teeth.

“Remember Kourtney, all we’re trying to do is help you, so we can get the bad tooth. But we’ll need you to listen and follow our directions,”Doctor Kunal Karan said.

Kourtnee, 8, nodded.

“The only thing she is worried about is if the tooth fairy will take those teeth,” her mother said, smiling.

Kourtnee and her sister were dropped from health insurance when their father lost his job. Thomas, a registered nurse, said she’s added them to her plan but it takes a while for the insurance to process.

“It’s not that easy to get back on once you get dropped,” Thomas said.

“We want to educate children and parents on why dental care is important. People see the need for medical care important but not as much dental,” said Michelle Esteban, the office manager.

Karan said cavities can turn into infections, which can spread systemwide and become life-threatening. He also said he’s seen a general misconception around baby teeth — many think cavities or infections in baby teeth aren’t a big deal because these teeth fall out. But the things is, he said, those infections can spread if left untreated.

Thomas sat anxiously beside Kourtnee throughout her procedure, rubbing her hands anxiously. The operation didn’t take more than 20 minutes. When she finished, Kourtnee was groggy from the laughing gas, her mouth slightly lopsided from the painkiller.

Her mother was over the moon.

“Ko ko, you get to sleep all night!” Thomas jumped up.

They both exchanged grins as the examining chair lowered back to the ground, and Kourtnee, in her Superwoman T-shirt with a ponytail perched high on her head, was free to go.